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Holiday Season Marks Another Serious Test of Airport Security

Aired December 24, 2002 - 11:04   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The holiday seasons marks another serious test of airport security since the federal government assumed control several weeks ago. Screeners are now especially keyed in to shoes, because it was one year ago that Richard Reid was thwarted allegedly trying to detonate explosives disguised as shoes. Now the FBI says the terrorists are still trying to exploit that method. Sophisticated technology is playing a key role in detecting any kind of explosives in a shoe or otherwise.
And Oscar Lazaro is General Electric's vice president for worldwide sales For GE's Ion Track, and he joins us now from Boston to explain how this device works.

And I understand lot of folks are going to be seeing this in the airports across the country, correct?

OSCAR LAZARO, : Yes, Leon, I imagine they will be. How are you?

HARRIS: I'm doing great. Happy holidays to you.

LAZARO: Happy holidays to you.

HARRIS: Now you tell us how this is going to help us all have a happy holiday, especially for travel this year.

LAZARO: Well, I think the number one thing is in the last year, the deployment of security equipment has insured an increased level of security for travelers. And I think that's what we really need to focus on.

HARRIS: Now what you've got here, this ion track, this is capable of detecting explosives as diluted as a teaspoon of sugar in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

LAZARO: You're absolutely right.

HARRIS: That's incredible.

LAZARO: It is incredible. But let me take maybe be a quick to explain how the trace-detection system works. The GE Ion Track system actually uses a very sophisticated vector to measure minute quantities of explosives that might be either on a suitcase or on a surface.

We then collect a sample, analyze that sample, and then compare it to a known database of explosives, since each explosive has its own signature. We actually do that in about seven seconds.

In fact, the system as you stated, it's the equivalent of measuring one teaspoon of sugar in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

HARRIS: So if this can do this in seven seconds, we're not talking about something that's going to cause long lines at the airport?

LAZARO: Well, i think there's been a tradeoff of the general public in terms of waiting in line and increased security. The Thanksgiving travel holiday, the data showed, that people are actually willing to stand in line for increased security, and in fact, the government has done an outstanding job of implementing increased security. They really need to be commended. The public is willing to stand in line, and they accept that increased security is just a must for everybody.

HARRIS: So do you have exactly a set up there to show us exactly how it works? Obviously, you can't put the suitcase inside that machine there.

LAZARO: No, this is a very simple unit to operate. I'm going to do a quick sample using the sample track. You would swab the surface, in this case the table or a suitcase, you insert it into the reader, and the system automatically analyzes it. It takes about seven seconds.

For the people standing in line, this will be done while they're waiting to check in their bags and take approximately two minutes per suitcase. Since they're already in line, it shouldn't affect the waiting time in one way or the other.

It's actually now sampling, and in a couple more seconds, we'll actually get a result. It's very quick, very easy to operate.

HARRIS: Let me ask you this. I understand it's in quite a few of the airports across the country. Do you know how many airports it's not in?

LAZARO: That's really data I wouldn't be able to provide you. But by the end of the year, these explosive detection systems will be implemented and deployed in all airports in the United States.

HARRIS: You're confident in that?

LAZARO: Absolutely confident.

HARRIS: I know that the end of the year is the government's deadline as well for being able to be check every single piece of checked luggage, as well.

LAZARO: Well, if you look past over the last 60 to 90 days, the government has met all the deadlines. They put a lot of resources into it, they've taken it extremely seriously. We at GE Ion Track have been very proud to partner with them to provide security at all the airports and increased security for the traveling public.

We think they'll meet the deadlines, and we can attest to how hard everybody's been working over the last 60-90 days. HARRIS: Let me ask you this, Oscar, if that device does what you just showed us that it does do, how does that stop someone -- or is it possible to stop someone if they're still walking through with the explosives in their shoes?

LAZARO: Well, in fact, you know, they've implemented several protocols now that were not in place a year ago. So this is actually a more of a deterrence than it is actually from stopping anything from happening.

But the combination of the deterrents, the general awareness, the fact that the security personnel have now been professionally trained, they're part of the government's effort to increase security, all those factors combined will contribute to providing security for everybody.

HARRIS: All right. Well, look, you made us feel a little bit more safe and sound this morning, knowing this equipment is out there.

Oscar Lazaro, happy holidays. Take care and have a good one.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





Security>


Aired December 24, 2002 - 11:04   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: The holiday seasons marks another serious test of airport security since the federal government assumed control several weeks ago. Screeners are now especially keyed in to shoes, because it was one year ago that Richard Reid was thwarted allegedly trying to detonate explosives disguised as shoes. Now the FBI says the terrorists are still trying to exploit that method. Sophisticated technology is playing a key role in detecting any kind of explosives in a shoe or otherwise.
And Oscar Lazaro is General Electric's vice president for worldwide sales For GE's Ion Track, and he joins us now from Boston to explain how this device works.

And I understand lot of folks are going to be seeing this in the airports across the country, correct?

OSCAR LAZARO, : Yes, Leon, I imagine they will be. How are you?

HARRIS: I'm doing great. Happy holidays to you.

LAZARO: Happy holidays to you.

HARRIS: Now you tell us how this is going to help us all have a happy holiday, especially for travel this year.

LAZARO: Well, I think the number one thing is in the last year, the deployment of security equipment has insured an increased level of security for travelers. And I think that's what we really need to focus on.

HARRIS: Now what you've got here, this ion track, this is capable of detecting explosives as diluted as a teaspoon of sugar in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

LAZARO: You're absolutely right.

HARRIS: That's incredible.

LAZARO: It is incredible. But let me take maybe be a quick to explain how the trace-detection system works. The GE Ion Track system actually uses a very sophisticated vector to measure minute quantities of explosives that might be either on a suitcase or on a surface.

We then collect a sample, analyze that sample, and then compare it to a known database of explosives, since each explosive has its own signature. We actually do that in about seven seconds.

In fact, the system as you stated, it's the equivalent of measuring one teaspoon of sugar in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

HARRIS: So if this can do this in seven seconds, we're not talking about something that's going to cause long lines at the airport?

LAZARO: Well, i think there's been a tradeoff of the general public in terms of waiting in line and increased security. The Thanksgiving travel holiday, the data showed, that people are actually willing to stand in line for increased security, and in fact, the government has done an outstanding job of implementing increased security. They really need to be commended. The public is willing to stand in line, and they accept that increased security is just a must for everybody.

HARRIS: So do you have exactly a set up there to show us exactly how it works? Obviously, you can't put the suitcase inside that machine there.

LAZARO: No, this is a very simple unit to operate. I'm going to do a quick sample using the sample track. You would swab the surface, in this case the table or a suitcase, you insert it into the reader, and the system automatically analyzes it. It takes about seven seconds.

For the people standing in line, this will be done while they're waiting to check in their bags and take approximately two minutes per suitcase. Since they're already in line, it shouldn't affect the waiting time in one way or the other.

It's actually now sampling, and in a couple more seconds, we'll actually get a result. It's very quick, very easy to operate.

HARRIS: Let me ask you this. I understand it's in quite a few of the airports across the country. Do you know how many airports it's not in?

LAZARO: That's really data I wouldn't be able to provide you. But by the end of the year, these explosive detection systems will be implemented and deployed in all airports in the United States.

HARRIS: You're confident in that?

LAZARO: Absolutely confident.

HARRIS: I know that the end of the year is the government's deadline as well for being able to be check every single piece of checked luggage, as well.

LAZARO: Well, if you look past over the last 60 to 90 days, the government has met all the deadlines. They put a lot of resources into it, they've taken it extremely seriously. We at GE Ion Track have been very proud to partner with them to provide security at all the airports and increased security for the traveling public.

We think they'll meet the deadlines, and we can attest to how hard everybody's been working over the last 60-90 days. HARRIS: Let me ask you this, Oscar, if that device does what you just showed us that it does do, how does that stop someone -- or is it possible to stop someone if they're still walking through with the explosives in their shoes?

LAZARO: Well, in fact, you know, they've implemented several protocols now that were not in place a year ago. So this is actually a more of a deterrence than it is actually from stopping anything from happening.

But the combination of the deterrents, the general awareness, the fact that the security personnel have now been professionally trained, they're part of the government's effort to increase security, all those factors combined will contribute to providing security for everybody.

HARRIS: All right. Well, look, you made us feel a little bit more safe and sound this morning, knowing this equipment is out there.

Oscar Lazaro, happy holidays. Take care and have a good one.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





Security>